Lock-strike.



N. B. HUM).

LOCK STRIKE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 1s. 1911.

` Patented 0G13. 17, 1911.

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NORMAN B. I-IURD, OF NEW BRITAIN, CDNNEC'IICUT, ASSIGNOR T0 RUSSELL & ERWIN MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

LOCK-STRIKE.

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l" 0 all whom it may concern" Be it known that I, NORMAN B. I-IUBD, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Britain, I-Iartford county, State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lock-Strikes, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in locks and relates particularly to an improved strike-plate so-called, whereby the latch action will be rendered noiseless.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a front elevation of a strike-plate of conventional form provided with my improvement. Fig. 2 is a vertical central sectional view. F ig. 3 is a rear elevation. Figs. 4 and 5 are views of details. i

It should be understood that in the accompanying drawings, I have shown my invention in a preferred form, and that I clearly apprehend that various modifications and changes may be made without departure from the spirit and scope thereof. A

The improved features of construction are embodied in this instance, wholly in the strike-plate, and since'said strike-plate can be used with any well-known spring latch,rit is obvious that no illustration or detailed description of said latch mechanism is necessary. As is well known, when a door provided with a spring latch is closed, the latch after being repressed by the strike-plate, snaps forwardly with a distinctly audible click as soon as it faces up with the usual opening or hole therein.

. In many places, such as hotels, institutions for the sick, and the like, this clicking noise is a common source of irritation to the occupants of the rooms. To that end my invention aims at preventing this clicking noise, and to attain that end, I have provided in the strike-plate itself means to so retard the projection of the latch bolt that it will move with relative slowness into the locking position.

l represents a strike-plate of the ordinary outline. This strike-plate is provided with the usual forward projection 2 which is encountered by the latch-bolt as the door is being closed, and by which said bolt is repressed. The strike-plate is likewise provided with an opening at the proper position into which the latch is projected when the door is fully closed. This opening is Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed. .Tune 13, 1911.

Patented Oct. 17, 1911.

Serial No. 632,895.

guarded by a repressible filler-plate la, which, when the door is open, may lie flush, or substantially so, with the outer surface of the strike-plate. When, however, the door is closed, this filler-plate la may be forced inwardly to afford room for the projected latch bolt. In the particular form of the device shown in the drawings, the strikeplate has the rearward extensions 3, which extensions carry a plate 4, which plate 4 has arearwardly extending cylinder 5. The rear of the filler-plate l@L is provided with a piston 6 adapted to t with reasonable snugness within the cylinder 5.

7 isa spring, preferably provided for forcing the filler-plate 1l forwardly to close the latch opening in the strike-plate.

8 is a vent passage in the piston 6. 9 is a check valve adapted to said passage. This check-valve may be of any suitable type, for example, a ball check, as shown.

l0 is a packing which may be provided, if desired, said packing being held in place by a screw ll. The cylinder 5 act-s, in effect, like a dash-pot, ret-arding the inward movement of the piston 6. The valve 9 operates in a directionA to vent the dash-pot as the piston is being moved outwardly under the 'influence of spring 7. In this connection it said repressing movement will be comparatively slow. It follows that when said filler-plate l is repressed by the action of the latch bolt, it will stand in front of the latch bolt and gradually recede, thereby preventing any sharp click, or snapping noise, such as is occasioned when a latch bolt isprojected in the ordinary manner into the opening in an ordinary strike-plate. 0f course when the latch is retracted the llerplate la moves freely out. Any suitable means may be provided for guiding the filler-plate la, for example, the rearward eX- tensions SW3, so that when said filler-plate is advanced it will enter the opening in the strike-plate properly.

While I am aware that means have been provided in latch mechanisms to retard the forward movementof the latch-bolt to prevent said objectionable click of the latch,

this has not been prevented by any improvement in the construction of the strike-plate itself. By providing said means in said strike-plate, it is possible at nominal eX- pense to equip a building already provided with locks and latches, with means to overcome the objection referred to and Without disturbing or changing over in the slightest the latch mechanism.

WThat I cla-im is:

1. In a strike-.platefor spring-latches, a face-plate, an opening therein, Vmeans arranged to normally stand Within saidopening to receive andcheckthe forward movement of the latch therein, and means to retard the repression of the latch resisting means, and a spring for projecting said latch resisting means- 2. In a strike-plate for spring-latches, a face-plate having a latch opening therein, means standing in Isaidfopening arranged to check the projection of a latchinto said opening, said means including a dash-pot.

8. In a strike-plate for spring-latches, a face-plate having a latch opening therein, means standing in said opening arranged to check the projection of a latch into said opening, said means including a dash-pot, and a spring for projecting said latch retarding means.

4. In a strike-plate for spring-latches, a face plate, an opening therein, a closer plate arranged to normally close said opening, a Spring to yieldingly resist the repression of the plate and a fluid check cofacting With the spring to resist said repression of the plate, said check olering substantial end resistance tothe projection of said plate.

. NORMAN B. HURD.

Titnesses H. Gr. VOIGHT, M. S. VLARD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each,v by addressing' the Commissoner'of Patents, Washington. D. C. 

